Exanima Released

Exanima is now available for download to all our backers. You can download it directly from us or you can redeem your Steam keys which should have been sent to you between yesterday and today. If for whatever reason you did not receive you keys by email you can access them from your account page on our website.

Before we say anything else, please when you play the game please do take the time to read the quick reference guide found in the control settings. This game is quite unique and you will need some basic information on how to play.

Hopefully by now you have some idea of what to expect from Exanima. It is set in Sui Generis's Underworld some 20 years before the main game takes place and emulates what a long delve into its depths will be like. It is not complete yet, many features of SG are not ready to be included but a lot of it is very close, you can expect frequent major updates to the game. It does already provide a complete and compelling experience and thanks to our amazing and attentive alpha and beta backers it is in a very functional and polished state.

Some major features and content updates are coming very soon. Following is a list of the more important things you can expect to see added to the game as development continues:

• Per session and global character skill progression

• Large non-linear main game following early content

• Build and permanently save characters by completing early content

• New encounters, items and environments

• Ranged combat and new close quarter manoeuvres

• Numerous moddable thaumaturgic powers

• More complete arena game modes featuring outdoor arenas

• Complex NPC interactions and dialogue

• Cooperative and competitive LAN multiplayer

The game also features an Arena mode where you can try your hand at combat against various and increasingly more skilled (in terms of AI) and better geared human opponents. The combat was incredibly well received by players so far and we know many have spent hundreds of hours in the arenas alone. It has a become a larger development focus than anticipated, a huge amount of work has gone into improving every aspect of it and developing AI that can challenge even a skilled player. At its core the combat system seems fairly simple but the controls and physics provide huge freedom and depth, it has often been described as being the closest a game has come to real combat. It can be incredibly rewarding and the skill cap is virtually infinite but it does take some learning to begin with.

Check out our new gameplay trailer below or just go dive right into the game!

Comments

Superbacker

The devs will not be giving more updates on Sui Generis until Exanima is completed. As they stated in their previous updates: all the work they're doing for Exanima is necessary for Sui Generis. The combat, the skill system, thaumaturgy, the NPC AI behaviors, the art assets... all are going to be used in Sui Generis as well. This means progress on Exanima IS progress on Sui Generis - we just have the benefit of being able to play Exanima and becoming directly involved as progress is being made. Without Exanima we'd have nothing other than more written updates and the devs wouldn't be getting all the feedback they currently are which has helped tremendously.

I finally tried Exanima today, and I'm sorry to say I'm kind of disappointed. I was prepared for the combat to take a lot of getting used to from all of the warnings and discussion, but I wasn't expecting the MOVEMENT to feel so counterintuitive! Whether it's the tank-style noncombat movement or strafing relative to your cursor while the camera remains static in combat, none of it feels very natural. Was there a reason there couldn't be a control setting so that WASD just moved the character relative to their position on the screen, independent of their facing? I realize that gameplay or controls that take some getting used to don't necessarily make a bad game, but they don't necessarily make a GOOD game either. All the battles look like a brawl between two drunkards; all the talk was about how the physics-based combat makes things realistic, but it feels like everyone's momentum is too exaggerated. I realize things need to move a little slower and more deliberately than they would in the real world to give players time to react within the limitations of the control scheme, but that just leads into what seems to be the biggest issue with this combat system: that a mouse-and-keyboard setup can't fully represent the full freedom of movement, attacking and blocking of an actual battle. Thinking tactically and intelligently isn't much help if I can't reliably translate my intentions into my character's actions. I keep wanting my character to stab into an opening in my opponent's side, only to have them miss by a foot or feebly slap their head with the flat of their blade; and making the blocking automatic makes it feel like it's mostly out of your control whether you block or get hit.

I've only played the game for a couple hours; I've gotten some combat practice in in the arena (I've made it through the first three opponents, but it's unfair to have to keep going against full-strength opponents without your health getting restored between bouts), and played through the story mode a bit, although after a run that was going pretty well ended when my character got stuck on a corner in a hallway and couldn't move while two zombies hacked him to bits, I didn't have much motivation to start another serious attempt. I realize that's probably not enough time to get fully used to things and that maybe it's awesome once you are, but from where I stand it's hard to imagine it being that incredible even if I do get the hang of making my character do what I want him to, and I feel little desire to keep going until I can do that. I don't want to sound TOO critical; I still do feel like the game's atmosphere and gameplay have the potential for a weighty, immersive, and exciting game, and I'll give later versions of Exanima and the full game another try. But in the meantime, I have a few comments and suggestions (although I realize some of these are probably already on your to-do list):

- The complete lack of a tutorial, introduction, or training mode is pretty staggering for a game with such unusual gameplay, even for such an early version; I hope you can add one ASAP. There should definitely be a training mode similar to the arena, except that you can choose whatever weapons and armor your want for both yourself and your opponent, and you can turn on unlimited health for both so you can practice combat without the distraction of resets.
- I know you don't want this game to be about numbers, but some sort of numerical indication of how much damage your attacks are inflicting would make it a lot easier to tell which of your attacks are being effective and which are mere grazes, making it much easier to refine your technique; worst case if you're opposed to this in the main game, it could be only in the training mode.
- Turning your character in time with his blows to maximize swing force takes a lot of getting used to, and is something you'll want to do often, so could there be a "power attack" option that makes your character automatically maximize their swing? Either holding down "R" or something, or right-clicking (because you're not going to be using right-click to move during combat anyway) could work.
- It's be nice if useful/significant objects either highlighted or changed the cursor when you moused over them, because it's pretty difficult to tell them apart from the many pointless objects littering the dungeon (I get that you want the players paying attention, but it's unfair to penalize our treasure-searching ability for having to make do with a more zoomed-out perspective and lower resolution than our character should be seeing through his eyes).
- Manipulating objects and doors via telekinesis feels pretty weird in a game otherwise going so deep for immersion and realism; I get that having the character actually move and drag boxes/etc around the room would probably be technically difficult, but couldn't clicking a collectible item or a door have the character pick it up or open it, respectively, via in-game animation?
- I'd like the camera to be able to move further in and to a lower angle than is currently permissible, to allow you to get a closer look at rooms and to get more of an "over-the-shoulder" perspective for when you want it; right now even the most zoomed-in options still leave it pretty hard to see what's going on, and it's important to be able to see combatants' body language in this game.
- An option to make the camera automatically follow behind the character would be nice, probably with Q and E allowing strafing directly left-right in addition to A and D turning the character. It sounds from your forums like you've already tried this and ruled it out, but it seems like it would've been nice to have the option to try out.
- More of a comment than a suggestion, but it seems pretty weird how willing most of the undead are to just ignore you as long as you don't attack them. I mean, if they're not bloodthirsty monsters, then what the heck IS their deal and why are they wandering around this dungeon? You say the NPCs aren't there to be killed by us, but they don't seem to have any other form of meaningful interaction with the player, unless you count completely ignoring us. If there are complicated factors going into their behavior, it might be more impressive if it was clearer what some of those were; maybe some sort of hostility indicator for each NPC showing roughly how close they are to attacking you? (or seem to be; I could see more intelligent foes later on feigning non-hostility only to turn and try to stab you [much as many players are likely to do with many enemies :)])

The game is unforgiving but the key to success is just to take it seriously. This is a world that is not player centric. NPCs are not there to be killed by you, you need to treat them with respect. If you think you can just go around naked with a stick killing everyhing and get away with it, think again.

Even the undead have complex AI and unique personalities, most are not aggressive if you let them see you can be trusted before you get too close. They will remember their encounters with you and treat you accordingly. Don't get too close before they know you, don't move too suddenly, don't stare at them... There's lots of subtle and complex stuff going on, this is not your typical game.

To start with you should proceed with extreme caution and try to get some decent armour and weapons. There are items hidden everywhere and containers with randomised loot. There are healing items and once you are armoured you take little or no lethal damage. If you're low on stamina (yellow damage) run away and recover, don't keep fighting!

Earning cross-character skill points is coming very soon. A permanent save point is being added before the main content which is less linear. Consider the first part as a getting your new character off the ground. By the end you will have some nice items and a starting point for the adventure that is based on how well you did.

The combat takes some adjustment because it's so dramatically different from any other game but once you master it it has a depth and freedom that is remarkable. 3 year olds and middle aged non-gamers can play this game, sometimes better than gamers just because they're not used to existing games. It's really not that hard, you just need to use you head more than your hands.

Wow, the combat system is really something to behold. It looks very nuanced and difficult to master. Starting the normal game over and over when getting obliterated by each enemy wasn't very fun, but arena looks like the best way to get right in the action and learn how to not die. I managed to unlock Expert now, but that second girl with the shield and longsword cuts me to pieces every time.

It looks very promising, but it seems very hard to consistently do a left->right swing and movement feels a bit sluggish. Also radio buttons/checkboxes are ambiguous as to whether they are on or off. Otherwise, swinging a sword is really satisfying.

So I'm enjoying learning your system and progressively get farther with each play. I'm glad you added arena mode, as I spent pretty much my first whole day using it to get used to your combat system (finally finished Novice with a morning star and shield.)

I am curious though, with all this focus on Exanima... what should we be expecting for Sui Generis? In terms of timeline to release...

Great!
Exanima "is set in Sui Generis's Underworld some 20 years before the main game takes place".
Sounds like there are no spoilers for the SG story line. I want to play, but I'd rather hold off than look at the closely guarded SG story.